


Always

by Inwiste



Series: A Long-Awaited Reunion [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Always need that tag when talking about inuyasha lmao, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Former Engagement, Healing, Hopeful Ending, Implied Slash, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mutual Pining, Past Arranged Marriage, Past Relationship(s), Tsunderes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:15:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25142239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inwiste/pseuds/Inwiste
Summary: Inuyasha hears the howl of a wolf in the middle of the night and catches a very familiar scent. Deciding to investigate their friend's sudden departure, they stumble upon a scene they never expected to see and learn a lot about Inuyasha and his history with the wolf demon Kouga in the process.
Relationships: InuYasha/Kouga (InuYasha)
Series: A Long-Awaited Reunion [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906582
Comments: 11
Kudos: 77





	Always

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an alternate universe where Inu no Taisho (Toga) died when Inuyasha was around 100 or so rather than right when he was born. I also made Inuyasha and Kouga older because I wanted it to fit with my timeline lol. I also HC (as shown in the fic) hanyous like Inuyasha who have super-powerful demon blood aging as slow as demons like Kouga, so 500 years is really nothing to them. Also, I changed it so Inuyasha is pretty much over Kikyo by the time she's resurrected by Urasue so please don't give me hate over all of this :(
> 
> Disclaimer: I own none of this.

The sun had set hours ago and Kagome, Kirara, and Shippo had already fallen asleep while Miroku and Sango were sitting and staring at the fire. Myoga, in a startling turn of events, had chosen to travel with them and was laying on Kirara along with Shippo, though the demon had yet to flick him off with her tail. Inuyasha was laying in the grass several feet away, looking up at the stars twinkling in the night sky. It was several days after the new moon and he should have felt at ease, but he could not shake the feeling of dread that permeated the entirety of his being. Something was going to happen, though he had no idea as to what that something would be. 

The howl of a wolf cut through the silence of the night before dissolving into a yelp and trailing off into silence. The scent of blood materialized in the air, though it was not just anyone’s scent. It was one Inuyasha was incredibly familiar with. He shot up from his place in the grass and stood up, grabbing Tessaiga and catching the attention of Sango and Miroku. 

“Inuyasha, what’s wrong? Is there a demon nearby?” Miroku was already reaching for his staff while Sango pulled Hiraikotsu closer to her. Myoga emerged from Kirara’s fur looking concerned while Kagome slowly sat up and blearily rubbed her eyelids. Inuyasha shook his head at Miroku and ignored Myoga hopping over to him. 

“Stay here, I have some business to attend to,” he said. Inuyasha sniffed the air and turned towards the scent of the wolf blood before walking over to the group supplies and taking Kagome’s strange box of medicine. “Don’t follow me. Stay here with the others.” 

Before the others could protest, he set off in a run towards the heart of the forest, praying that it wasn’t too late. 

***

Kagome watched Inuyasha disappear deeper into the forest before turning to the others and seeing confused expressions that matched her own. Shippo, most likely disturbed by her and Kirara’s movements, stretched and yawned before leaning against her side. 

  
“What happened to Inuyasha?” he asked, his words slurred from sleep. “Is it because of Kouga?” 

“Wait, what did you just say, Shippo?” Sango stood up and kneeled before the small kitsune, a serious expression on her face. “Why did you say Kouga?” 

He yawned and stretched once more, still not fully awake. “Kouga’s nearby. I can smell him. I think he’s bleeding because I can smell wolf blood,” he said. 

Kagome frowned at Shippo’s explanation. Inuyasha’s relationship with the wolf demon was odd. They clearly had some sort of history with each other, given the way they interacted and how the mention of Inuyasha’s name had made Kouga stiffen and an almost sad look appeared in the wolf’s eyes before they were interrupted by an attack by the Birds of Paradise. The wolf showed almost no interest in her, yet they continued to run into him and his compatriots, Ginta and Hakkaku. Inuyasha was always in a foul mood after interacting with him, but there was something else there that Kagome couldn’t put her finger on. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn’t notice Myoga hopping up onto her shoulder and biting her neck, though at the slight sting her hand slapped him out of reflex and he fell onto her shoulder, grumbling all the while about “the cruel acts committed against fleas trying to make an honest living”. She quickly grabbed the flea and held him in her palm while Miroku, Sango, and Shippo gathered around her to look at him as well.

“Kagome,” the flea started, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I believe I know the reason why Lord Inuyasha went after Prince Kouga and the reason behind the oddness between the two of them. It has to do with their engagement.” 

“Wait, what?” She could not contain her surprise, neither could the others. Both Sango and Miroku gasped while Shippo spluttered in confusion at Myoga’s statement. “Kouga and Inuyasha are engaged? Engaged to be married?” Miroku asked, astonishment clear in his voice. 

Myoga shook his head in response to Miroku’s question. “I believe that I confused you with my poor wording. They were engaged, though it was broken off upon the death of Lord Inuyasha’s father, Lord Toga. The great general and my former master died when Inuyasha was quite young, fifty years after his mother. To strengthen the Western Lands, he and the then clan leader of the Yourouzuku arranged a marriage between Prince Kouga and Lord Inuyasha, as Lord Sesshomaru was already engaged to be married. However, when Lord Toga died and Inuyasha left the Western Lands, the engagement was called off,” Myoga explained. “Prince Kouga and Lord Inuyasha had been good friends, and the love that had begun to blossom between them appeared as a perfect chance to strengthen our foothold in the Eastern Lands. I do not believe that they had seen each other or spoken until you were kidnapped by the prince and Inuyasha had to rescue you, Kagome.” 

“How long would that have been?” Kagome’s mind was racing, her mind piecing together the lack of interest Inuyasha had held in Kikyo upon her resurrection and his evasiveness whenever she asked about his past.  _ No wonder he did not want to talk about his past. It must have hurt too much for him. He may have moved on from Kikyo, but did he ever move on from Kouga?  _ She wondered, though she highly doubted that her question would be answered. 

  
The flea was silent for a moment, clearly deep in thought. “I believe that was 300 years ago, now. The demon blood in Lord Inuyasha is so powerful that he ages as slow as demons such as Prince Kouga. Most demons age quite rapidly in their first few hundred years of life before the process slows down for them and they age incredibly slowly for the rest of their lives. 500 years would only make Lord Inuyasha look a couple of years older by your human measures,” Myoga said. He looked in the direction that Inuyasha had run off in, his face drawn. “Well, I can guard the campsite while you go search for the Lord. Good luck!” With that, he hopped off of Kagome’s palm and huddled close to the fire, scowling when Kirara snorted at him. 

Sango rolled her eyes at the flea’s antics, strapping Hiraikotsu onto her back before turning to Miroku, Shippo, and Kagome. “We have to help him. The howl that we heard sounded like a cry for help, and the yelp that followed was most definitely a cry of pain. Inuyasha may be strong, but if something managed to take down Kouga, I am not sure that Inuyasha would be able to defeat it and escape unscathed. Shippo, can you smell either Kouga or Inuyasha?” Sango asked, concern shining in her eyes. 

The kitsune nodded and pointed in the direction that Inuyasha had run in earlier. “They’re both in that direction,” he said. At his response, Kagome got on her bike and Shippo jumped in the basket, quickly riding in the direction where their friend had gone while Sango and Miroku ran alongside them.

They rode for a long time while Shippo gave occasional directions and eventually they could see a flash of red in the distance, the same color as Inuyasha’s kimono. His voice could be heard faintly through the trees and he sounded irritated. All Kagome could make out was “stupid wolf, what were you thinking? If I-” before her bike wheel hit a branch and it snapped, echoing through the woods and making Inuyasha go silent. 

Sango grabbed Hiraikotsu and held it like a shield in front of her while Miroku wielded his staff in a defensive position as they slowly entered the clearing. Sitting before them was Inuyasha, his kimono sleeves rolled up to his forearms and bandages in his hands. Behind him was a massive black wolf. It had to be at least 15 feet long and ten feet tall. Its paws were as big as Kagome’s head with razor-sharp claws nearly six inches long. Bloody bandages were laying next to its recently cleaned side, most likely what Inuyasha was about to bandage before he was interrupted by the group. The wolf barked at them before licking Inuyasha’s face. Rather than slapping it as Kagome expected him to, he leaned into the touch and nuzzled the wolf's neck before looking at the group with a fierce scowl. 

“What are you doing here? I specifically told you not to follow me,” he growled. The wolf appeared to react to his emotions, as it rested its large head on Inuyasha’s shoulder and stared at them with icy blue eyes that looked even more piercing in the moonlight. “Kouga killed the banshee but the creature wounded him because the idiot didn’t get out of the way in time,” Inuyasha said, ignoring the way the wolf huffed at him and the group looked in the direction that their friend was gesturing towards. A grotesque creature lay dead at the edge of the clearing, its grey skin riddled with claw marks, though the bite marks on its neck and the odd position it was facing showed that its snapped neck was ultimately what killed the creature. Blood was dripping off of its gnarled claws, staining its stringy white hair. 

_ The wolf...Inuyasha referred to him as Kouga…  _ Kagome thought. “This is Kouga?” she asked, looking at the wolf who had curled himself around Inuyasha in a protective manner while they had been speaking. The wolf looked at her with an expression that could only be described as  _ duh, who else would it be? _

“He’s in his true demon form, but yes, this is Kouga. He can shift between the two forms with ease,” Inuyasha said. Seemingly on cue, a tornado surrounded the wolf and dissipated after a moment, revealing Kouga in his human form, clutching his side where the large gash from the banshee was. The hanyou turned around and glared at the wolf demon, “though it is not advisable when one is injured and has not been bandaged yet,” he hissed through gritted teeth, though the demon just snorted in response. 

“I’m still here, aren’t I? Now is as good of a time as ever, given how long it took you to simply clean the cut. Healing is definitely not your forte, Yasha,” Kouga said with a grimace. 

“Shut up,” Inuyasha said, a pink blush staining his cheeks while he bandaged the wolf’s side. The group all stared at the two, feeling quite out of place in what felt like an incredibly private conversation. The words were benign, but the atmosphere was tense and unspoken words floated in the air. 

When Inuyasha finished his work, he sat back on his haunches to examine the wound, looking satisfied given the lack of blood staining the bandages and the neat wrappings, though his satisfaction was cut short by Kouga trying to get up and walk away from him.    
  


“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Inuyasha exclaimed as he carefully wrapped around the wolf’s chest, ignoring or unaware of the way Kouga froze and then relaxed as his back hit Inuyasha’s chest.    
  
“Getting up and leaving. Thank you for your help, but it’s time for me to go,” he snapped. “I’m fine, you don’t need to treat me like a goddamn pup.” 

Inuyasha only tightened his arms around Kouga in response. “If you stopped acting like one, I wouldn’t have to treat you like one,” he growled. 

Finally deciding that it was time to step in before one of them slapped the other or kissed him, Kagome spoke up. “Kouga, Inuyasha is right. We can’t leave you with an injury like this. Please stay with us at least until you have healed.” 

The demon looked at her and she was taken aback by the sadness in his eyes, though he quickly blinked it away and his face twisted into a scowl. “Fine. If you’ll let me stay then I will stay. Only until I’m healed, though,” he responded.    
  
Sango and Miroku looked relieved that he was staying with them or that the argument was over, Kagome was unsure. Inuyasha smiled for a second before adopting an irritated look when Kouga glanced at him. Without a word, he slid his arms under Kouga’s knees and around his back and lifted him up bridal style, much to the wolf demon’s chagrin. 

“What do you think you’re doing, mutt?” He exclaimed, trying and failing to wiggle out of the hanyou’s tight grip. 

“You’re in no condition to walk, Kouga. Not only will you aggravate your wound, but you’ll also tire yourself out within minutes. Just let me take care of you for once,” Inuyasha snapped, his eyes widening once he realized what he said. Kouga and the others looked at him with varying degrees of shock, though the wolf demon looked happy at the hanyou’s response. 

“Okay,” he said quietly. 

The group began the long walk back to the camp, though Inuyasha lagged behind. They had been walking for ten minutes or so in peaceful silence when Kouga spoke. 

“Inuyasha?” 

The almost timid tone of the wolf demon shook him out of his thoughts and he looked down at Kouga in his arms. His heart twisted at how frail his former-betrothed looked. He was pale from the blood loss and his skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat. Wordlessly, Inuyasha set Kouga down and undid the ties on his kimono, gingerly wrapping the wolf in it before lifting him once more and continuing on his way. 

“What is it, Kouga?” 

“Thank you. If you hadn’t been there, I don’t know what would have happened.” He leaned into his chest and pulled the kimono tighter around him before closing his eyes, though they flew open a moment later at the feeling of soft lips brushing the crown of his head. 

“I will always be there, Kouga. Always.” 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and Kudos are always appreciated :)


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